i must confess... i've been too mean to danganronpa 1. i recently watched a stream series of danganronpa 1, and to be honest, at the end of the long road/stream series, i found myself looking back and thinking damn. that was a lot better than i've ever given it credit for.

to preface, i really like danganronpa, and i've watched people play danganronpa 1 a number of times, so it's not like this is the first time or even second that i've experienced this story - but i think something about myself has changed in the time preceeding this latest watch. also, i do want to note that i do still like 2 and v3 (esp v3) more!! but i've gained a greater appreciation for dr1 and what it set out to do.

i made this as spoiler-free as possible!

what is danganronpa 1

i actually should have this section first and foremost but idgaf. this is my blog idgaf.

danganronpa 1 is a game where 15 students are trapped inside a school. these students are all "ultimates", which means that they are the very best in whatever their title is - so there's the ultimate writing prodigy who's the best at writing, there's the ultimate baseballer who's the best at baseball, and so forth. the school they're trapped in is the same school they were just about to start their first day in - hope's peak academy. this school only admits ultimates, so it's a cream of the crop, elite school.

inside this school, a bear plushie named monokuma tells them that they need to kill each other (and get away with it) if they want to escape the school.

silliness ensues. and also murders.

the tone of danganronpa is very fun; it's dark but also very silly and funny. you'll find yourself frowning and upset when your favourite character dies, but then laughing just a bit later when someone is being a stupid asshole. it's a great time.

my changed opinion

until recently, i was of the opinion that the characters were shallow, the mysteries were generally too obvious, and the overall story was not super compelling.

in some ways, i do still think all of those things are true, but i've also kind of started to appreciate it for those things. danganronpa 1 is a simple game, and i'd argue that it isn't really trying to be much more.

the characters are kind of shallow, but they're fun for what they are. they're pretty likeable, and there are definitely some standouts!!

the mysteries were generally pretty obvious (especially with regards to the culprits) to where if you really thought about it too much and looked at your truth bullets (evidence), you're almost guaranteed to get to the answer, but it also makes it great for a more casual experience. as well, even knowing the culprit can still be a fun thing, because it'll let you notice things you otherwise might not have.

the overall story wasn't super compelling or deep, but in recent years, i've been enjoying those sorts of stories more. don't get me wrong, i do still love a super compelling, complex and beautiful story, but something about simple stories has started to resonate with me in some ways. engage made me actually tear up in some moments, and that game is very 4kidz coded, and honestly this game is really similar to engage in a lot of ways. the theme is extremely clear but almost beautiful in its clarity, and the story tells you exactly what it wants you to take away from it, and honestly does not expect you to take anything else away from it.

i think that's kind of awesome. it's a story that is fun, sweet, dark, and insane, and it's not all that much more than that, but it isn't trying to be. it knows exactly what it is, it tells you what it is, and it delivers.

and yes i know there's the insane amount of problematic stuff in it but critical enjoyment of media etc and it's easier for to give it some grace because game from 2010 but also you don't need to give it that same grace cuz it's your life big dawg.

anyway that's all i really had to say. i'm sorry for being so hard on you danganronpa 1... i didn't recognize your game ! thank you for reading xoxo